When life is not what you expected
by Dr Facer
Summary: Many years have passed since Ranma and Akane married. Ryoga married too, but his marriage was not for the best; not for him or for his wife.


WARNING : If you're a fan of the Ryoga and Akari couple, please don't  
read this 'cause you probably ain't gonna like it.

This fanfic talks about sexual issues in marriage and it has some lime  
content; if you don't want to read about this matter, stop reading  
now.

DISCLAIMER : Ranma ½ is a property of Viz communications, all the  
characters created by and copyrighted to Rumiko Takahashi.

Notes: Anna is an anime only character, she is a teen farmer who lives in a  
wild west style town, she fell in love with Ryoga and is waiting for  
him to return to her.  
Hiroyosi Takai and Daimio Bakufu are my own characters; please don't  
use them without my permission.

**WHEN LIFE IS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED  
**BY  
**DR FACER**

"When did my life go wrong?" The young woman asked herself as she  
cleaned the large old fashioned kitchen of her house. She was a young  
and very beautiful woman, her long, shiny brown hair was tied in a  
ponytail and she was wearing an apron above her dress and green shirt.  
Her face was a beautiful sight, but it also showed a lot of repressed  
sadness and her moves were slow, almost mechanic.

She finished with the kitchen and went outside the house. She sat at  
the stairs in front of the door and watched her family farm, her  
father had already fed the pigs, and he was now cleaning the barn.

She could see her mother waving at her from the other house, she waved  
back and managed to smile, then she looked at the farm again, she  
recalled when everything had been easier, when she still had the  
illusions of a bright and happy future, it had been when she was  
sixteen, now at twenty four, she was all but happy. She married at  
eighteen with the man she thought was perfect. How wrong had she been.  
That happened six years ago, "God, six years already?" She thought and  
stood up, heading towards her house again. Once inside, she made her  
way to her bedroom, "It's MY bedroom, since he hardly ever sleeps  
here, where could that idiot be right now?"

Somewhere else, in a place called Nerima, a young man walked alone. He  
was searching for a special place; a place called the Tendo dojo; a  
place where the woman he still loved with a passion lived. He had been  
searching for that place for four months, and he knew his wife must be  
very worried.

Since he married Akari Unryuu six years ago, he had been with her  
roughly the equivalent of only two years, but it was okay, she always  
waited for him, she was always loyal to him, and she was always  
willing to do anything for him. But Akari was not 'her'; she was not  
the woman he had always loved above everything. He did love his wife,  
it was just that she always behaved so...Perfectly, it was nice at  
first, but after a while, he grow tired of it. He yearned for the  
road, for the freedom. Now that he had a place he belonged to, a place  
to return to and call home, he needed the traveling, the wandering  
much more than before. It started with the occasional two weeks  
travel, but as time passed, more and more time he spent on the road,  
and soon he had found out why, he was still in love with her. Then he  
searched until he found her again, and when he meet her; he saw it;  
she was pregnant. She was bearing the child of his most hated  
adversary, and still, he was happy for her, at that moment, he knew he  
could never have her, but he also knew, that he could never leave her.  
That happened five years ago, since then, his visits to her house had  
been more and more frequent, and he found himself spending less and  
less time with his own wife, "But who cares, she never gets mad at me  
anyway." The man thought and continued his way.

Akari Hibiki was not happy, her husband had been lost for four months,  
"No, not lost, he's out there, searching for her." She sighed and as  
she laid on her bed, she caressed the soft skin of her lips, "How many  
times has he kissed me?" She wondered, and she touched her lips once  
again. She remembered the first time he had kissed her, it had been in  
a cold night, the same night he asked her to marry him. It had been a  
shy and gentle kiss. A kiss that at the moment, seemed to be the  
prelude for many, many more, but it was not. Since that night, he had  
kissed her only what? Ten, twelve times? "So much for a happy  
marriage." She thought, worse was her sexual life. She had made love  
with her husband only five times, "Five times! That's probably the  
number of times my parents made love in two of months! And I've had  
sex with my husband only five times in six years !" Akari moaned, She  
had come to dislike sex a lot. Not because she didn't enjoy it, but  
because of the way he behaved when they made love. Not only was he a  
bad lover; Akari had never reached an orgasm with her husband and she  
had tried hard; but he always finished way too quickly for her to  
come. So she had to reach her climax on her own. She had been shy at  
first since masturbation was a taboo in her family, until the day that  
finally, her needs overcame shyness. But that, as satisfactory as it  
was, never really made her feel complete; and as a result; she almost  
never did it. Akari remembered her wedding night and she frowned. That  
had been a big fiasco, when he had finally entered her, when she  
thought they would be as one forever; he killed her; he destroyed  
everything she had hoped for. What began as love making, ended for her  
being just plain sex. She just let him finish, all the pleasure she  
wanted to feel from his hands vanished and all because of a name he  
whispered in her ear, "Akane, why did he have to say her name?" She  
asked to no one in particular; and if that time hasn't been enough, he  
called her name all the times they had made love. He called her name  
in his dreams, he whispered her name to the wind whenever he thought  
he was alone. And she hated it, "Akane Tendo, how come that a woman I  
thought could be my friend, is the same woman I have learned to hate  
so much?" She said, but soon rectified, "No, I don't hate her. She  
always made clear to Ryoga that they would never be more than friends.  
I just hate her name, and the way he calls her name." Akari left her  
room and then her house. Once outside, she headed for the Takai farm,  
she had been spending a lot of time there lately; and recently; it was  
for her the only place she could be in peace.

Ryoga Hibiki had finally arrived to the Tendo dojo. Now property of  
Ranma, who had become a very renowned martial arts master over the  
years. He had even won several national tournaments, which had brought  
lots of students to the once deserted dojo; and his four years old boy  
was already very skilled in martial arts. That and the new baby he and  
his wife were waiting for; made Ranma's life nearly perfect. Ryoga had  
always been a little bit jealous of that, but not much. He had come to  
love Ranma's son as his own, and the way the little boy called him  
uncle Ryoga was priceless. For him, the Tendo dojo was the only place  
he could be in peace. Now, all he wanted was to see Akane again, and  
see how was her pregnancy going, sure, he would have to withstand all  
the questions about when he and Akari were going to have a baby; and  
all of Ranma's not so subtle jokes about him being impotent; but it  
was a little price to pay for being able to spend some time with Akane  
and her little kid. Ryoga knocked the door and waited, but no one  
answered, he knocked again and again, but nobody came, he waited for a  
while until he was convinced that no one was in home, "Could it be  
that Akane is giving birth right now?" He thought, "What should I do?  
If I leave, I won't be able to find the dojo in weeks!" Ryoga sat near  
the door, pondering about what he should do next.  
"Oh my! Ryoga how are you?" Ryoga lifted his head to see the woman  
standing next to him, it was Kasumi Tendo, the sweetest woman he had  
ever met. Ryoga smiled and stood up, "Hi, Kasumi! I'm fine, thank you.  
So, how's everything around here?"  
"Well, Akane's baby was born yesterday, it was a beautiful girl!"  
"That's great! And what about Akane? Is she all right?"  
"Of course she's fine! In fact, she'll be coming back home tonight, so  
I came to prepare everything for the baby. Would you like to come in  
Ryoga?"  
"Sure! Thanks Kasumi!"  
"Good, I'll fix you some tea then."  
Ryoga followed the oldest Tendo sister inside the house, happy that he  
would get to meet Akane's newborn child so soon.

Akari finally arrived to the Takai farm, where she was greeted by  
Hiroyosi's mother, after she told her where he was. Akari headed to  
the pig gym. There, Hiroyosi was training his family pigs. She waited  
for a moment before speaking and watched him as he instructed the  
animals.

He was still the best, no wonder she or her father had always lost the  
national sumo pig championship every year since he returned to the  
tournaments; it had been hard to be second best at first for Akari,  
but as the years flew by, she had got used to it.

Now, she admired Hiroyosi a lot and at the same time, she knew she  
shouldn't be here. Hiroyosi was still in love with her; and she knew  
it, he had always tried to hide it, but she knew. There are things a  
woman can tell no matter how much a man tries to hide them; and  
Hiroyosi's love for Akari was one of them. Still, she enjoyed to be  
with him a lot, over her years of loneliness, he had become Akari's  
confident. He had helped her to live through her failed marriage, and  
most important, he had loved her. He had listened to what she had to  
say and he gave her advice. He never took advantage of the situation;  
he could have, but he never did it. He was happy being a friend and  
confident and nothing else. That respect was one of the things Akari  
liked the most about Hiroyoshi. She smiled and walked towards him,  
when she got as near as she could without him to realize that she was  
there, she shouted his name, "Hiroyosi Takai, what are you doing!!"  
The young man jumped and she laughed, "My, and I thought you weren't  
so easy to scare, Hiro!" Akari teased.  
"Akari! What a lovely surprise!" He greeted, "What brings you here  
today?"  
Akari sighed and sat in one of the gym benches. "Nothing, I just  
wanted to talk I guess."  
"He hasn't come back yet, right?" Hiroyosi asked and sat besides her,  
"That's odd, he's never been away for this long. Hasn't he called or  
something?"  
"No, nothing. Not even a letter. Nothing to let me know he's still  
alive." She moved closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder,  
"I've never felt so lonely before. It's a torture Hiro, not knowing  
when he's coming back or if he's coming back at all! It's horrible!"  
She said and began to sob, Hiroyosi pulled her close and hugged her  
with his right arm, using his left hand to softly stroke her hair,  
"He'll come back, don't worry, he always does, doesn't he? It's just  
that he lost his way more than usual this time."  
Akari hugged him too and shoved her face in his chest, "It's not that  
easy, I know where he is!"  
"Then why don't you go there?"  
"Because he...he's with her!"  
"Again? but didn't he promise he would never go to see Akan..."  
"Don't say it!" Akari said as she moved away from him, "Don't ever  
mention that name! I don't want to hear that name ever again!"  
"Well, I can do that." He answered, "What are you going to do about  
it?"  
"Nothing."  
"What did you say?" Hiroyosi asked, "What do you mean by nothing?"  
"Just what I said. If he prefers to be with her, so be it." She said  
absently. "I have stand him long enough and I...I can't go on, not  
anymore."  
"I understand, but he doesn't deserve this."  
"Hiroyosi?" Akari asked.  
"What?"  
"Stop fooling around and be honest just for once. I know how you feel  
about him, you can say it. I won't get mad, I promise."  
He blinked; amazed by her words; he thought about asking her if she  
was joking, but the look of her eyes convinced him that she wasn't,  
"Are you sure? you will probably won't like my opinion."  
"I'm sure. Go on and say it, it can't be worse than my opinion on him  
at this moment."  
"Fine, but remember that you asked for it."

Hiroyosi took a deep breath and closed his blue eyes for a moment,  
then he opened them again and stared at Akari's perfect face, "I think  
he's a good man Akari. He has been a good friend for me the times I've  
seen him, but still, I will never forgive him for doing this to you."  
He stared at her for a moment. "You deserve better Akari. You deserve  
a man that can be with you always. A man that will love you and only  
you! A man that will listen to you! A man…"  
"Like you." Akari interrupted and stood up, "Hiroyosi, tell me  
something, do you still love me?"  
"What!?"  
"Just answer me, it's very important!"  
He sighed and turned away from her, "Yes, I do. Maybe more than ever  
before."  
Akari walked towards him again and putting a hand on his shoulder, she  
smiled and said, "Thank you, it wasn't so hard was it?"  
Hiroyosi looked at her, "Why are you doing this?"  
"I needed to know if there was someone besides my parents that still  
loved me, that's why. These last days I've felt that no one in this  
world loves me anymore."  
"Akari I…"  
"Just take me outside please, there you can tell me anything you  
want."

Outside, they leaned on the tall fence that surrounded the Takai farm,  
"You are wrong Akari." Hiroyosi said while picking a stone, just to  
throw it seconds later.  
"About what I said?" She asked. "Besides you and my parents I have  
nobody. No friends, and certainly no husband!" She started to cry and  
dug her face on her hands, "Don't you see it? everyone but me has a  
choice! You can get married, my parents have each other and the farm,  
and my husband, well, he has her!"

Hiroyosi gave Akari a hug, she was worse than ever this time. All the  
other times Ryoga had left her for a long time, she had managed to  
remain calm. Very sad, but calm, this was the first time he had  
actually seen Akari like this, he hold the crying woman in his arms  
tighter, trying to transmit her some comfort.

"No one understands my pain." She sobbed, "Nobody knows what it is to  
be completely alone. Nobody knows what it feels like to be abandoned  
and disappointed of life, no one but me!"  
"Don't say that Akari, you have me, I will always be here for you."  
She looked up and saw him smiling. She suddenly couldn't stand his  
smile, because it was the smile of a liar, it was the smile of the man  
that did nothing to stop her when she decided to marry a man that  
destroyed her life, she frowned, "You lie! someday you'll get married  
and then you will leave me and forget about me!" She shouted, "And  
then, I will be alone for real!"  
"I won't! I promise I'll never leave you if that's what you want!" He  
tightened his embrace and continued, "I will do anything for you  
Akari. Anything you ask."  
"Anything?" She asked.  
"Yes, anything."  
"Love me then Hiro. Love me and never stop loving me."  
"I will, don't worry."  
"Thank you Hiro. I...I love you."

He pushed her away softly, "Akari, you don't love me, you are married  
and you have a husband to love. I know he's always away; but if you  
try; things will be fine between you both. I know he still loves you,  
and someday, you'll have children to love as well."  
She sighed, "Not his children, that's for sure."  
"But why?"  
Akari told him all about his wedding night and how had her sexual life  
been since that night. Hiroyosi was not impressed, he was already  
waiting for something like that, "I'm sorry." Was the only thing he  
could say.  
"Not as much as I. That's for sure." She admitted and broke the hug,  
"Want to have dinner with me tonight Hiro?"  
"I don't think I should." He answered. He wanted to be with her, but  
she still was a married woman.  
"Please Hiro, it's hard to be alone. I just want to have some company,  
that's all! It'll be all right, I promise."  
"I…Okay, I'll go."  
"Great! I'll have it all ready around eight o'clock, don't be late!"  
She said and ran to her house, leaving Hiroyosi dueling with his  
feelings. He couldn't believe he had accepted to go, what if Ryoga  
appeared tonight? What if Akari really meant it when she said she  
loved him? Could it be true? Has she fell in love with him again? Or  
did she love him only as her best friend?

It was hard for him to make a choice, all that because Hiroyosi had  
been in love with Akari since they both were six. And for a short  
time, she loved him back, but he had to leave to train; and when he  
returned; she was in love with someone else. He once heard that only  
if you truly loved someone you would be able to let that person go.  
Well, he did it, he sacrificed his love for her and let her go. He let  
her marry the man she said was the only one for her. He had watched  
her all this years, and he had suffered with her, but he never crossed  
the line. He always respected her decision; but now, what could he do?  
He stopped thinking and decided to leave everything to fate, "After  
all, what happens, happens, right?" He said and laughed nervously,  
things couldn't get worse and certainly, they couldn't get better.

By the time night arrived, all the Family was celebrating in the Tendo  
dojo. Only Ranma, Ryoga and Akane were now in a room upstairs. In  
there, Ryoga was holding a little baby in his arms, it was the most  
beautiful thing he ever saw. The newborn girl was smiling and looking  
at him and he felt his heart melted, he already loved this girl as  
much as he loved the mother; as for the father; he didn't care at all.  
Ranma could go to hell and back if he wanted, all that matter was the  
mother and her children.  
"So, Ryoga, we already have two little rascals here, when are you and  
Akari going to have one of your own?" Ranma asked.  
Ryoga gave the girl back to her mother, "We're working on it, okay?"  
He answered looking at his former rival, "It's just that we haven't  
had the time lately."  
"Maybe you're the one who's lacking something Ryoga." Ranma mocked.  
"If you know what I mean of course."  
"Honey! Stop picking on Ryoga! He's our guest!" Akane said.  
"Okay! It was just a joke between pals! Right Ryoga?"

Ryoga was silent, he hated when Akane called Ranma 'honey' like that,  
but he didn't let his anger to show. He looked at the baby and  
immediately relaxed, "Yes, Ranma's right Akane, see? I'm not mad." He  
managed a smile.  
"Good." She replied, "And tell me Ryoga, How's Akari? I haven't seen  
her in years!"  
"She's…fine I guess." Ryoga answered, "I'm sorry Akane, but I have  
been kinda lost these last couple of months."  
"So you haven't seen her either." Akane said.  
He lowered his eyes, "No, I haven't, but it's not my fault! This  
dreaded sense of direction of mine is what keeps me away from her!"  
"Poor Akari." Akane said sadly, "She loves you so much Ryoga, I feel  
sorry for her."  
"Oh Akane, don't worry!" Ranma interrupted and caressed his wife's  
right arm, "Akari knew what she was getting into when she married  
Ryoga, I'm sure she's used to him getting lost by now."  
"Hey!" Ryoga interrupted. "Thanks for the 'help', pal." Ryoga said  
sarcastically.

Ranma was about to answer when a loud crash was heard, seconds later,  
Nabiki entered the room, "Ranma, you better go downstairs and try to  
calm down both your dad and master Happosai or they'll ruin the dojo  
in no time."  
"Well Ranma, it seems your dad is still the same old panda, isn't he?"  
Ryoga joked.  
"This is no time for jokes, man! It's my dojo we're talking about!  
Come with me Ryoga, I'll probably need a hand dealing with Happosai!"  
Rnama said.  
Ryoga was about to say no, but he saw Akane's eyes and decided to go.  
"All right, I'll help you." Then he quickly joined Ranma, who was  
already leaving the room.

Nabiki sat besides Akane, "She's still awake?" She said and softly  
caressed the baby's head, "Guess she's too happy to sleep, uh?"  
"Nabiki, you'll never change!" Akane said while smiling, but then, she  
became serious and asked, "Sister? can I ask you a question?"  
"Sure, What is it?"  
"How's your marriage going?"  
Nabiki blinked, "What? Why are you asking me that?"  
Akane opened the drawer next to her bed and pulled out a magazine;  
which she handed to her sister. "Because of this."

Nabiki took the magazine and looked at the cover. She was about to  
give it back to Akane when she read one of the headlines: 'Are Daimio  
and Nabiki Bakufu getting divorced? Read it all inside!' Nabiki sighed  
and threw the magazine to the garbage can in one of the room corners,  
"It was because of that Akane? That magazine publishes only trash! My  
marriage is fine!"  
Akane stood up from the bed and started to rock her daughter with her  
arms, "It didn't look like garbage to me Nabiki. The pictures of you  
and Daimio say the contrary, since when you walk on the street ten  
feet away from your husband, uh?"  
"Oh, that thing. Yes, we were walking away from each other, but it  
wasn't nothing serious, Daimio and I saw that paparazzi since the  
beginning and we decided to give him something to sell, you know?"  
Nabiki smiled, "In fact Akane, I bet that magazine's next headline is  
going to be something like: Is Nabiki Bakufu pregnant? Read it all  
here!"  
"What do you mean by that?" Akane asked, "Don't tell me that you're…"  
Nabiki giggled, "Yes! I'm pregnant and I'm in my third month!" She  
said happily.  
"Nabiki! That's wonderful!" Akane hugged her sister with her free arm,  
but then, another crash, louder than the first was heard.  
"You'll have to call the carpenter tomorrow, sis." Nabiki said.  
"It won't be necessary; Ranma's students can fix the dojo, they have  
done it before."  
"As a part of their training I assume." Nabiki answered.  
"Of course!" Akane joked; then, they could hear Ranma insulting  
Happosai, a panda that was growling and Ryoga cursing Akane's husband,  
"I guess some things never change." Nabiki said and sat on the bed.

"Welcome! I thought you weren't coming Hiro."  
"I'm sorry, it took me longer to finish with the training of the  
pigs." He answered and entered the house, "So, has he arrived yet?"  
"No, and I haven't heard anything about him yet." She said as she  
walked him to the table, "Anyway, I made a delicious dinner just for  
the two of us!"  
"Really? I can't wait!" Hiroyosi replied as he sat in his chair.  
"Want to know what we'll have for dinner?" Akari asked.  
"Sure!"  
"Well, we'll open with my special autumn salad, then we'll have potato  
and meat buns showered with mushroom sauce, and as dessert we'll have  
apple pie, what do you think?"  
"Sounds great!"

Hiroyosi waited for Akari to serve the dishes, he was glad that this  
dinner turned out to be what he expected. He was a little bit ashamed,  
how could have he thought that Akari was trying to do something else?  
she said she loved him, but only as friends. Sure, he loved her more  
than that, but as always, he was not going to cross the line, Akari  
was a married woman, and as such, she deserved respect.  
"Hiro, which kind of seasoning do you want with your salad?" Akari  
asked from the kitchen.  
"Same as you I guess." He answered.  
"Okay!"  
When the dinner ended, Akari and Hiroyosi went to the living room;  
drank some tea and chatted about the old times when they where kids;  
but slowly, the conversation headed to more recent topics. "Hiroyosi,  
are you ready for the next sumo-pig tournament?" Akari asked.  
"Sure I am! this year will be the debut of my new pig! How about you?"  
"I'm pretty much sure that this year we'll be the champions."  
"Got a new pig?"  
"Of course not! We gave Katsunishiki a special training for this  
year's tournament!"  
"You know Akari, you shouldn't use good old Katsun in this  
tournament."  
"And why not?"  
"He's too old, he could get hurt."  
"Well, maybe he is a little bit old, but he still can fight as good as  
always!"  
"That's not true. I already know the reason why you're using  
Katsunishiki again."  
"You do?" Akari said surprised.  
"You're having problems with your pigs, don't you? Breeding problems."  
Akari drank a sip of her tea, "Yes. How come you know it?"  
"Easy thing Akari. The rate of pig births in your farm hasn't  
decreased, but you have less grade 'A' pigs now because your family  
devoted all their efforts to train only Katsunishiki; which means that  
all the other pigs got less training, and therefore; the new  
generations of pigs are not as strong as the previous ones and you  
can't use Katsunishiki to breed because he's too old. Katsunishiki's  
progeny wasn't properly trained either and that's why you're having  
problems, am I wrong?"  
"No, you're right. That's what's happening and we don't know what to  
do." Akari sadly answered.  
"My best advice will be for you to start all over again from zero."  
"But what about the good name of our farm? It will take us years to  
breed a pig as good as Katsun!"  
"I know it's not the best solution." He admitted. "But I'm afraid it's  
the only one; and you know it as well as I do." He replied.  
"Do you know how much money we'll lose if we do that!?"  
"Yes, but think about it Akari, this may be the chance for your family  
to born again; to be free of your past and start a new era as  
breeders. It's a new adventure!"  
"You make it sound easier than what it actually is."  
"Akari, it is easy, all you need is determination, and I know you have  
it."  
"Maybe you're right." She answered.  
"Of course I'm right! how else do you expect to get another champion?"

Akari was shivering. Those words, they were affecting her in more ways  
than one, maybe Hiroyosi was right, maybe there still was a chance for  
her, but she needed time to meditate about her life and her current  
situation; so she asked him. "Hiro, it's getting late and you should  
go. I want to think about some things, alone."  
"Uh? all right, I'll go home now."  
Akari walked Hiroyosi to the exit of the farm and said good-bye to  
him.

He did the same, and hugged her; Akari almost lost it then. She almost  
asked him to stay this night with her; to hold her and kissed her. But  
she didn't. She was sure Hiroyosi would have accepted, and even when  
all the love she had for him had returned. She couldn't do anything,  
for she was still a married woman. If what she had could be called  
marriage that is. All she had was an uncaring husband that she was  
sure didn't love her anymore and a sumo-pig farm in crisis. She slowly  
made her way to her house and passed the living room and the kitchen.  
She decided not to clean them tonight; what for? It wasn't like if her  
husband would come in this moment to ask her to clean it all; she  
instead went straight to her bedroom. She sat on her bed and began to  
think about what Hiroyosi said. "To start all over again from zero…"  
She thought, "A chance to born again, a new era and a new adventure."  
She whispered and laid herself on her bed, "Yes. Maybe he's right,  
maybe all I need is to gather all my determination and start my life  
all over again, to make it be what I want it to be. I know I can! I  
don't have to be alone if I don't want to! I know there is someone  
that loves me, and I know, I finally know, that I love him too!" Akari  
smiled and then cried, but she wasn't crying because she felt lonely  
as she had done so many times before; she was crying out of happiness.  
This time, she would be what she wanted, and no one would stop her.  
With that in mind; she wiped away her tears and closed her eyes, "I am  
Akari Unryuu again; and this time, I'll do things right; I swear it!"  
she whispered as she slowly fell asleep.

Ryoga was walking alone through the streets of Nerima. After he and  
Ranma tried to stop Happosai's drunken rampage, the old pervert used  
one of those bombs of his against him and Ranma. Sending them flying  
all the way to who knows where. For Ryoga, this place was not familiar  
and Ranma wasn't anywhere near; he should have landed somewhere else.  
"Well, at least I got to see Akane's baby." Ryoga said with a smile  
"Guess it's time for me to go home for a while. That wife of mine must  
be worried sick about me." He told the wind and walked faster. Maybe,  
if he was lucky, he could find the Tendo dojo on his way home and  
spent a few days there. With that in his mind, Ryoga walked into the  
night. Thinking how things were as perfect as they could be; he had a  
caring and loving wife, a pretty farm that someday would be his; and  
he had Akane's friendship and the love of Akane's children as well.  
Wasn't life great? Well, for the man called Ryoga Hibiki, life was  
indeed great, but for how long?

Akari was expecting him. She had been expecting him for two months  
since the day she decided to born again; and now; she finally had him  
in front of her. She had been sweet with him. She made him a nice  
dinner and she let him sleep, it was the last thing she could do for  
him. Next morning, she took him to the living room and have him seat  
in one of the couches while she sat in the far side of another couch.  
There was also a man wearing a brown suit waiting for them already.  
Once Ryoga was comfortable, the man opened his briefcase and pulled  
out a folder with a few paper sheets in it; which he handed to Ryoga.  
"What's all this Akari?" He asked.  
"This 'dear' is a divorce decree, and this man is Mr. Takajusa, my  
family's lawyer."  
"Divorce? But why? There's no reason for it!" Ryoga said; this was, to  
say the least, the last thing he ever expected from Akari; what  
happened to her?  
Akari picked one of the sheets Ryoga was holding and pointed to what  
was written in it. "You want reasons Ryoga? I'll give you reasons!  
First we have abandonment; then we have desertion; and finally we have  
cruel and abusive treatment! And I'm pretty sure I can come up with at  
least five more motives for our divorce!"

Ryoga was stunned, do all those things existed? He knew what divorce  
was, but he never cared about it. He didn't know what to say, and now,  
doubts started to fill his mind, has he really been a bad husband? He  
never thought his actions were causing any harm to Akari; but still,  
it was true that he never thought about the way she felt; he had  
always expected her to do what was her duty as his wife. That was the  
way things were. When had she changed this much? "Do you really want  
this?" He finally asked.  
Akari took a deep breath and answered, "Yes Ryoga, I do want this. I  
think it's the best thing to do for us."  
"All right then, tell me what to do."  
Akari smiled, at least he was being reasonable.  
Mr. Takajusa interrupted, "Everything's already fixed, all you have to  
do is to sign the papers."  
Ryoga grabbed the pen Takajusa handed him and silently; he signed the  
paper and the three copies of the document. "Well, I guess this is it,  
or do you need something else?"  
"No, I don't need anything else. From now on, you two are legally  
divorced. Hope you have done the right thing." Takajusa said and put  
the papers back inside his briefcase. He then exited the house without  
saying good-bye.

Akari looked at his ex-husband and said in a serious tone. "Ryoga, I  
could have made it a lot harder for you, but I set things so we both  
could be free again."  
"So this means that you don't love anymore?" Ryoga asked, eyes closed,  
not daring to look at her face because he already knew the answer.  
Akari smiled sadly, "No Ryoga, I don't love you as a husband anymore,  
but we can be friends if you want. It's not the end of the world, it's  
all the contrary, now you have a chance to start your life all over  
again. To be a new you! To live life as you always wanted!"

Ryoga bit his lip and stood up. He walked to the door and picked his  
backpack. Then he said, "Good bye Akari Unryuu. I'll always remember  
you." That done; he ran away from the farm, quickly disappearing into  
the nearby forest.

_Four years later…_

Hiroyosi Takai was nervous. His wife was giving birth to their first  
child, and even when the doctors told him that everything was fine, he  
couldn't help being nervous. He decided to walk around the hospital to  
see if he could calm down a little. He was walking through the  
corridors when he heard a voice he vaguely remembered. It took him a  
moment to identify it; once he did it: he headed in the direction the  
voice was coming from. He ended up outside a room where a couple was  
tenderly watching a baby; he stopped and peeked from the corner of the  
door. He didn't know the woman; but the man; he did know, it was Ryoga  
Hibiki and he seemed very happy. Hiroyosi turned around and silently  
walked away from the room; but suddenly a voice stopped him. It was  
Ryoga; who was calling him. Hiroyosi returned to the room and greeted  
the couple, "Ryoga, long time no see, how have you been?"  
"Can't complain, Hiroyosi, can't complain. Oh, but where are my  
manners?" Ryoga said and walked besides the woman who was holding the  
baby, "Did you know my wife Anna?" He said.  
"No, I didn't" Hiroyosi answered and bowed his head, "I'm Hiroyosi  
Takai, nice to meet you ma'am."  
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Takai. Are you a friend of my husband?"  
"I suppose you could say so."  
"That's nice! Did you come to see our baby then?" Anna asked.  
"I'm sure he did my dear." Ryoga interrupted, "So, Hiro, how's your  
wife? I heard she was pregnant."  
Hiroyosi paled a little, but he answered, "Akari's fine, she's giving  
birth right now."  
"What a coincidence!" Anna exclaimed. "Had she gave birth yesterday,  
our children would have born on the same day!"  
"Yes, what a coincidence," Hiroyosi said sweating. "If you excuse me,  
I have to go and check on my wife." He explained and nervously managed  
to made his way to the door, "Ma'am, Ryoga, it was nice to see you,  
but I really have to go, until next time." Hiroyosi said as his  
farewell and quickly put some distance between him and the room.  
"Are all of your friends that odd, dear?" Anna asked.  
Ryoga laughed, "No, they're even more odd; just wait until you meet  
Ranma and Mousse, those two are the kings of being odd!"  
"Honey?"  
"What is it Anna?"  
"Wasn't that Akari your… You know, wife?" Anna worriedly asked.  
"Yes, she was, but you already know the whole story Anna. I told you  
about my divorce before we got married. Why do you ask? Don't tell me  
you're jealous."  
She smiled, "Of course I'm not jealous you dummy! I know you're mine  
and only mine." Anna said, "It was that, I just pity her, she had you  
and she let you go, that was not very smart of her."  
"I don't think so." Ryoga answered, "If she hadn't let me go, I  
wouldn't have found you again." He said and kissed his wife, "Now  
don't think about her, she has nothing to do with me, with you, or  
with our little girl; not now and not ever."  
"Excuse me mister, but I have to take the girl back to the cradle  
room." A nurse interrupted; Anna gave her the little girl and was left  
alone with Ryoga, who hugged her and thanked her for making him the  
happiest man in the world.

In other room, a woman was holding her husband, she was tired and  
nearly unconscious, but she was happy; for she had became a mother and  
the father of her children was the man she loved, "When did my life  
start to shine again?" she thought as she tightened her embrace on her  
husband. "Was it when I divorced him? Or when I married Hiro? I don't  
care anymore; all I want is to enjoy my happiness forever!" Akari  
Takai smiled as his husband kissed her and thanked her for making him  
the happiest man in the world. For her; life was now complete; and  
full of hope for the future. She remembered Ryoga and all she could do  
was to wish for him to be as happy as she was. Wherever he might be.

**END**

Okay, you can flame me now. I just wrote the story because the idea  
came to me and since I have always believed that Akari is too good for  
Ryoga; well, I had to write it. Besides, I warned you all Akari and  
Ryoga fans that you shouldn't read this story! Oh well, at least I  
tried to give a happy ending for both of them. It's not my fault that  
Ryoga ended up with Anna. It's just that I wanted to give Ukyo a  
break; she's probably the best one for him, but not in this story, it  
wouldn't have fitted in right, so I used Anna instead. I know most  
people have never heard about her, but she does appear in the anime!  
I swear! She's like an anime version of Akari and I really like her;  
all I can say is that I had to use her. If this story was in any way  
insulting to you; I apologize. And no, I'm not a Ryoga hater, Ryoga is  
actually one of my favorite male characters in the series, but I write  
what I feel and this story is an example of it.


End file.
